How & Why You Should be Live Streaming at Trade Shows

How & Why You Should be Live Streaming at Trade Shows

When you plan to exhibit at a trade show, your goal is to connect with new prospects and build deeper relationships with existing customers. But what happens when the people you need to reach the most are not in attendance? Simple. You bring your exhibit to them.

By utilizing live video marketing solutions at trade shows, you can still target your most valuable prospects, no matter where they are. All you need to get started is a camera, a computer, and a convincing message.

Why Should Live Streaming Be Part of a Trade Show Plan?

Live streaming from trade shows allows your brand to introduce products and services to a much larger audience. Although many of your top prospects will be on-site, many more are forced to stay at home due to budget, location, or a lack of high-level support. When you live stream from a trade show, you extend your reach to the prospects stuck at home and give them a window into what they’re missing out on, from a new product launch to keynote addresses from support team members.

Using Salesforce as an example: their 2015 conference only hosted around 160,000 live attendees. However, by broadcasting sessions live online, they were able to reach 10 million additional people – close to 75x the audience they would have reached by limiting the sessions to in-person attendees only.

Adding a camera to your booth can be your best method of bringing new prospects to the table, too. Studies show that when prospects watch a trade show live stream, they are 30 percent more likely to attend the next year. If that additional percentage of targets showed up at your next trade show, imagine how many more face-to-face meetings would you have with decision-makers, or how many more opportunities would you have to close business with those individuals who are already familiar with you and your live content!

What Equipment Do I Need for Trade Show Live Streaming?

Once your team is onboard with trade show live streaming, the next steps are relatively easy. To start, check out our live streaming checklist, You’ll want to be sure to have a good camera, microphone, and a STRONG internet connection.

Live streaming from a trade show booth doesn’t necessarily need a multi-camera setup fed into a professional mixing board. Using a camera that captures 1080p high-definition video can be just as effective. Most cameras no longer require complicated hook-ups to transmit video from event to computer. Instead of having a computer specially outfitted with a coaxial input or RCA inputs, you can simply run a USB cord from the camera to the computer and record that way. When paired with a USB microphone, you’re ready to broadcast!

Broadcasting your message to the internet requires a strong connection, but with less bandwidth than you might think, especially if you’re streaming on multiple platforms with Switchboard Cloud. Trade show live streaming doesn’t have to be an impossible task. With a vision, a goal, and a technical plan, your conference can teach, illuminate, and inspire – even when your prospects and partners watching from home!